No garage, no shed, woe is me..........

[BubbaZanetti]

hey guys, i'm looking for recomendations from people who are forced to store their bikes in the great outdoors. i realize this may be futile and should probably go ask the same question on a site dedicated to rat bikes. but anyway, at present i live in a location that is a bit cramped with no garage or storage area. i keep my bike in the small parking lot in front of my condo and at present i have a cheap-0 (25 dollar) wal-mart special cover. this cover does little to keep rain seeping through. so i guess i'm looking for a good cover suggestion and other recomendations for bike storage. luckily the bike can spend the difficult months (jan, feb, ect) in a dry garage @ my parents, but i'm looking for ways to keep it from falling apart too quickly...........

[Gizmo]

Perhaps rent a storage unit, if one is close enough to make it a reasonable option.

[username]

you need an SO with a garage...

or you need to live somewhere with better weather. youve been having all sorts of problems with the rain, perhaps you should consider moving the southwest? it worked for me.

[John Brase]

There was a time when I lived in a neighborhood where one didn't really want to leave a bike overnight. I rented one of those storage things and more or less commuted back and forth to the bike. You can get a bike in one of the small (cheap) units. Only problem I had was the place was attended and closed at 10PM. I missed the closing bell more than once.

I have a Dowco cover that works well. It keeps the water off and has vents to keep the condensation at bay. Don't recall what it cost. Available at most M/C accessory places.

John

Still haven't figured out how to ride with one arm in a sling.

[MotoTrex]

I don't have a garage either. In the winter, I store my 1100S over at a friends garage. "In season" I use a Dowco cover with a camping fly over it. Get some cheap plastic tarp material and through it over the Dowco cover. This is just to keep the rain off - the Dowco does a great job of keeping dust and pollen off the bike. To keep the tarp/fly on, I use those adjustable hold-down straps, hooked around the front and the back (underneath). I park the bike on the centerstand which rests on a wooden board (to prevent marking up the driveway).

Years ago I constructed a stand for the bike I had at the time (an old Ducati). The stand was about 8' by about 2'. I braced it underneath with 2 x 4 and nailed down treated ply wood over the top deck. I installed large eyelets on the sides to hook the hold-down straps (front and rear) and underneath the stand I put a layer of plastic - as a vapor barrier. My concern was getting the bike up off the ground (driveway). I don't use the stand anymore. When I ride the 1100S up onto the stand (it's the height of the 2" of the 2 x 4 and the thickness of the plywood) and, using a separate wood board for under the centerstand, I try to dismount, the bike is too high up for comfort. The Ducati was lower (I'm 6'1") and it was easy for me to hop off the bike, flip the centerstand down and hoist it up. The BMW is higher and I can't really hop off the bike, so I don't use the stand. In fact, now, whenever I park the bike anywhere, I put the bike on the sidestand while I get off the bike and then I put it on the centerstand.

Moisture is a real problem. All bikes have a tendency to rust some small part here and there. A squirt of WD 40 now and then on certain spots can keep the rust away. Once a month I give a shot to the rear wheel bolts and the fill plug on the rear differential.

[BubbaZanetti]

yeah, some sort of covering is defenetly my only option, storage would be nice, but i use the bike 95% of the time now (almost everyday) 80 miles to work, etc, so i need it on the premises............

[bigfoot105]

You might try checking with one of your local moving and storage companies for a plywood storage vault. These usually come in several different sizes and are built with premium materials and to premium standards (leak proof). Most of them have hinged ends for closure.

If you apartment/condo has assigned parking spaces your building manager may allow you to keep your vault in your assigned space provided its aesthetically pleasing.

[knary]

I stored my bike outside, uncovered, for a few years. Did it lose some of its luster a little faster? maybe. But then it also gets far dirtier when I ride it. Considering the number of hours out on the road a bike might spend, worrying about a little wear and tear while sitting outside parked seems silly. A Dow or equivalent cover should be sufficient.

[SNC1923]

Doesn't Sears or someone make a reasonablly priced ($200) plastic shed that your bike would squeeze into? Must be a place for it somewhere on your property, and you could lock it besides. Good luck working this out; it's a worthy venture. ;)

[kbasa]

Bubba,

PM me your address. I've got a Dow cover I'm never going to use I can send you.

Call it Karmic or something.

[boofer]

Bubba, get an enclosed trailor with the rear door that lowers to be a ramp. I know, somewhat pricey, but you could work on your bike inside on a rainy day, haul it south in winter, help a annoumous user in trouble, live in it when you lose your job, smuggle drugs to afford a mount for your etch-a-sketch, well you get the picture, and it's portable, and "real" BMW riders will make fun of you for having one, unless it's made of platinum, hahah :brow

Tim

[rocketman]

Check this thing out, a dude down the street from me had one while we were in an area without garages. looked pretty sturdy and can be folded away when not needed.

http://www.cycleshell.com/Profileweb.jpg

http://www.cycleshell.com/Motorcycle Cover

RM

[NYRIDER]

My solution for storage has always been a big hit in the hood.
Typically, I am greeted by the remark
"Gee I thought that was garbage"
Not built to withstand anything other than the deflection of idle minds, it does present a recurring inconvenience
(have u figured this out by now?)
What about the windscreen and the right side mirror?
As it stands right now, I must remove them at the end of each
glorious day of riding (storage provided inside shed).
The cost in materials is minimal, but the dynamics of fitting the bike inside can be tricky if u are not trying to invite visits from ur friendly building inspector.

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Check this thing out, a dude down the street from me had one while we were in an area without garages. looked pretty sturdy and can be folded away when not needed.

http://www.cycleshell.com/Profileweb.jpg

http://www.cycleshell.com/Motorcycle Cover

RM

I have one of these and so does my roommate. So far they have withstood 60 MPH wind gusts and after one year they are doing great.

[Hodag]

build a ramp and ride it into the house. Put a board on it and call it a table.

[Mike1]

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I have this one. Here in Southern California - heat, sun, wind, and bugs are a problem (it never rains). I can take this one with me easily wherever I go and cover the bike (2002 1150rt). Check it out.
http://motorhelmets.com/htm1/accessories-covers-nelsonrigg-table.htm

[James.A]

Don't park it under a pine tree using the logic that it's better than nothing. My "brother" Mark did that to a Kaw 1000, very bad.

[BradfordBenn]

My solution for storage has always been a big hit in the hood.

That is pretty ingenious!

My suggestion was going to be rent a construction dumpster....